Over 500 women have joined the first day of the International Women Conference in Frankfurt.

The conference was opened by an emotional ceremony bringing together old Kurdish women in traditional clothes and women from all over the world, all pointing out at the importance of the women struggle and the even more important necessity of making this struggle a common one trough a network which would be able to act and respond united at every and any moment.

The first panel was dedicated to the Crisis of Patriarchy and its Systemic War on Women. Moderated by Debbie Bookchin, of the Institute for Social Ecology of the United States, the session was addressed by Miriam Miranda, of OFRANEH Honduras, who underlined how never before in history women have been exposed to such a deep and stratified exploitation as in capitalism. She argued that together with the nation-state, capitalism constitute the most institutionalised expression of patriarchy.

Claudia Korol, de Panuelos en Rebeldia, Argentina argued that, having entered the 21st century with a structural crisis, capitalism is trying to emerge from it by concentrating attacks on its contraries. And a systematic war on women is being experienced. But crises, Korol argued, also always contain opportunities for strong risings.

Finally Nazan Ustundag spoke of sexism and its connection with the Holy Trinity of Capitalism, that is sexism, nationalism and religionism. While these pillars cannot be separated, she argued, sexism is the basis of all forms of power.

The afternoon was dedicated to the 9 workshops addressing the various issues from the rise of fascist regimes and their impact on women to ecology, to women and alternative media.